2015 Volvo XC90 Becomes First to Leverage Google Cardboard VR Tech

paris show volvo xc90

The brand-new 2015 Volvo XC90 is a vital component of Volvo's U.S. revival plan, with the sophisticated three-row crossover expected to feature:

• A full array of high-efficiency, high-performance Drive-E powertrains, which includes turbocharged, supercharged engines as well as plug-in hybrid capabilities
• The Sensus vehicle control system, offering tablet-style functionality, voice recognition and steering-wheel-mounted controls
• Further advances in safety, highlighted by a system that can provide automatic braking if the 2015 Volvo XC90 is about to make a left turn at intersections ahead of a quickly approaching, oncoming vehicle
• Sophisticated premium styling, from its "Thor's hammer" LED exterior lights to a lux cabin offering features like four-zone climate control and a 1,400-watt audio system with 19 Bowers & Wilkins speakers

The only minor problem is that the 2015 Volvo XC90 won't arrive in dealerships until the end of the first quarter of next year, and folks are ready to check out the new vehicle right now. But that's where another new Volvo innovation comes into play: The brand is the first in the auto industry to provide a virtual-reality experience for customers that relies on Google Cardboard. That new Google gadget delivers a cheap and simple way to create a DIY virtual-reality system, mostly made from actual cardboard, that leverages user's smartphone for technology--and, in this case, the new Volvo Reality app.

Explained Bodil Eriksson, executive vice president of Product, Brand, Marketing & Communications for Volvo Cars North America: “Using Google Cardboard exemplifies the marriage of innovation and design engineering. With nothing more than a smartphone, cardboard, two lenses and a magnet, customers can experience a test drive that puts them in the driver’s seat of the XC90.

"With Google Cardboard we can deliver an experience that is so much richer than simple videos or pictures. We can now transport people into a 360-degree world where they can explore and experience the next-generation luxury SUV, months before it’s in dealerships.”

Unsurprisingly, the Volvo Reality app will first launch for Android, although an iOS-compatible version is on its way. For more info, visit: www.volvocars.com/us/volvoreality.